


Life and Duty

by eerian_sadow



Series: chromatic vision 2011 [6]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Married Life, Meta, military life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-18
Updated: 2011-10-18
Packaged: 2017-10-24 17:53:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He has to balance life as a husband, father and soldier.  Some days he's better at it than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dinner Date (Alone)

**Author's Note:**

> This series of drabbles was originally written for Chromatic Vision's Oct. 2011 drabbleathon.

He sat in the restaurant alone.

It was a classy joint; the kind of place Monique would have liked. They never would have gone to some place like this when he was home, though, because a sitter for five kids was expensive as hell and his salary wasn’t that good. But it was nice to go out and pretend.

His waitress kept giving him suggestive looks and winks and he couldn’t decide if she was hitting on him or the uniform. Didn’t matter; he’d never cheat on his girl.

With a sigh, Bobby Epps signaled her over and ordered dessert.


	2. Lonely Night

His phone rang as he was leaving the restaurant. He frowned as he reached for it.

His wife’s picture was on the caller ID. he answered with a smile. “Hey, baby.”

 _“Hey, handsome. How’s my favorite flyboy?”_

Bobby laughed. “I better be your only flyboy. I’m good, but I miss you.”

 _“I miss you too. Any news on that job offer?”_

“Not yet. But you’ll be the first girl i tell.”

 _“I better be. I’d hurt you if I found out you told Sarah first.”_ There was a smile in Monique’s voice that made that night a little less lonely.


	3. Aftermath

He’d always wanted to see Cairo, but not like this. Not in the wake of a battle where they’d lost a lot of friends and were still picking shrapnel out of the survivors. Not when they’d disobeyed orders and were now waiting for the court martial, despite the fact that they’d saved the world. Not when he didn’t even have time to process how different the place felt from any other city he’d visited.

In a way, he appreciated that they were all waiting on the hot tarmac of a private airstrip. Kept Galloway from ruining the experience any further.


	4. Fight

She screams.

He screams.

Then he takes a moment to thank God that the kids are at her mother’s house right now. She uses his moment of silence to storms out, slamming the door behind her.

Hours later, she comes back home. “I’m sorry. It’s just… you said you’d retired.”

“I know, baby. But my boys needed me. Will needed me. I couldn’t just let them have Chicago.”

“You and Will, you did this before, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

She frowns. “Next time you run off to help your boys, you’d damn well better call first. I was scared to death.”


	5. Test Results

He stared at the paper numbly. He’d told Monique to stay home with the kids, that there wasn’t anything to worry about and that he’d be fine without her. He wished to God she was here now, though.

“I’m sorry, Mister Epps,” the doctor said softly. “There are a range of treatment options and I can recommend—“

“No,” Bobby said softly. “I am not going out like this.”

“Of course not. With proper treatment—“

Epps stood. “I know. I need to talk with my wife first.”

And Ratchet, but he wouldn’t mention that in front of the doctor.


	6. Renewal

He curled up on the sofa next to his lady and watched as she flipped through wedding magazines. It was almost like re-living the days when she had been desperately searching for things they could replicate on his tiny salary, but with more years and five kids behind them.

“I like this one,” Monique said, smiling.

Bobby looked at the black and white cake. “That’s a lot of cake, baby. You sure it ain’t overkill?”

“I think after fifteen years of marriage, we finally deserve the real deal, don’t you?”

He had to smile at that. “Whatever you want baby.”


	7. Second Honeymoon

“Baby, are you sure the kids are okay?” Monique frowned as they made their way from the hotel to the beach.

“Moni, the kids are fine. Will and Sarah are taking good care of them.” Bobby said, with a reassuring smile. “They’re probably not even homesick out at the farm.”

“Are you sure they can handle them? I mean, five kids is a lot and Annie’s not used to so much company and--”

“Babe.” He reached out and pulled her close. “The kids are fine. Will and Sarah are fine. Annie’s fine. Now, quit worrying and enjoy this expensive vacation.”


End file.
